Automatic counting machine for screws, nails and similar articles



July 9, 1963 P. CHIAIA AUTOMATIC commune MACHINE FOR SCREWS 3,096,603NAILS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1960 Nv vmJuly 9, 1963 P. CHIAIA 3,096,603

AUTOMATIC COUNTING MACHINE FOR SCREWS, NAILS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES FiledApril 25, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 uvvE/vm a IBM dw 'a July 9, 1963 P.CHIAIA 3,096,603

AUTOMATIC COUNTING MACHINE FOR SCREWS, NAILS .AND SIMILAR ARTICLES FiledApril 25, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,096,603 AUTOMATIC COUNTING MACHINE FOR SCREWS,NAILS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Paolo Chiaia, Ing. A. Giambrocono, Via Durini4, Milan, Italy Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 24,569 9 Claims. (Cl.53-78) This invention has reference to an automatic machine for countingand boxing screws or similar articles, the sale of which is regulated bynumber rather than by weight. It is well-known that screws and similararticles are offered for sale in packets containing a predeterminednumber, for instance one gross, thereof. However, for economicalreasons, the articles are not counted separately, but are merelyweighed, proceeding on the assumption that the number of articlescharged into any one box is of a predetermined value whenever the weightof the charged box is equal to that of a box containing the same numberof articles which have been counted. In other words, the arithmeticalprocess is substituted by the comparatively simpler process of weighing.When this procedure is adopted, it may not infrequently occur that thenumber of articles actually charged into a box falls below thepredetermined number, and as a result people prefer (in order expresslyto avoid complaints), subsequent to charging the boxes to the desiredweight, to add a few extra articles to each box. So far as the produceris concerned, this procedure is somewhat uneconomical, since each boxsold contains a larger number of articles than the stated figure.

The principal object of the present invention is the removal of thisobjection by providing and using a machine which precludes thepossibility of miscalculations; that is to say, a machine which willprevent the boxing of a number of articles in excess of or less than apredetermined number.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine designedprimarily and expressly for mechanised industry and which is operated bypurely mechanical means in that electrical apparatus, for instanceelectromagnets, photo-electric cells, and such-like are excluded. Inaccordance with the said invention, an automatic boxing machine equippedwith a counting device is characterised in that each individual screw orsimilar article to be boxed is so impelled by at least one transporter,preferably a peripherally indented drum, that, during the course of itstransportation, the screw establishes a connection between a drivingelement and the countingdevice, and that such connection, which isestablished by each of the several articles, results in the articlesbeing counted, the transporter being immobilized whenever apredetermined number of articles has been counted and discharged to abox.

Preferably the transporter drum receives one article at a time in eachof its peripheral indents which are spaced apart around the drumcircumference; as each article is being transported it comes intocontact with and actuates an intermediate drive-transmitting unit whichis coupled to and is adapted to operate the counting device; theconnection between the driving element and the counting device isinstigated and established by each article in succession, until therequisite number of articles has been counted, after which the countingdevice puts the transporter drum out of commission until such time as abox into which the counted articles have been discharged, has beenreplaced by an empty box.

In order to forestall and prevent a breakdown of the transporter drum ordrums and/ or the operation of the said drum or drums as a result of anyincomplete introduction of an article into a peripheral indent, the drumor drums may be driven through a shifting-jaw clutch 3,096,603 PatentedJuly 9, 1963 having mainly trapezodial surfiaces, which clutchdisengages automatically when rotation of the or either transmitter drumis prevented or resisted.

Further, in order to prevent any of the articles being damaged whileestablishing the connection between the driving element and the countingdevice, the said article may be impinged upon one of the points of aprimary star wheel included in the drive transmitting unit, which pointprojects into the path of travel of the article but is removable fromthe said path by a small angular movement of the star wheel; during thisangular movement one of the points of a secondary star wheel included inthe drive transmitting unit may be inserted into the path of, and beactuated by, the driving element to operate the counting device.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood and carriedinto practice, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the operative parts of an automaticmachine for boxing screws.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic elevation of the counting device and ofmechanism for intermittently feeding forwards both full and empty boxes.

FIGURE 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow III, FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic plan of the transporter drums of the machine,looking in the direction of the arrow IV, FIGURE 1.

FIGURES Sa-Se are, respectively, diagrammatic elevations showing thesequence of operation of the means which instigate the temporaryimmobilization of the transporter drums and the intermittant forwardfeed of the boxes.

FIGURES 6a and 6b are, respectively, diagrammatic plans of a transporterdrum and its associated driving element immediately afiter a screw'hasengaged a drum indent, and

FIGURES 7a and 7b and 8a and 8b are plans similar to those of FIGURES 6aand 6brespectively, but showing the drum :and driving element in twosuccessively later stages in an operational cycle of the machine.

With the assistance of any suitable known feeding means, (not shown) thescrews 1 and/or other articles which it is intended to box, aredelivered in a well-ordered arrangement, into two parallel and inclinedrunways 2, in which the screws are held vertically by their heads anddown which the said screws slide consecutively towards a twintransporter comprising two drums 3 and 4. Each drum is fast upon acorresponding one of two shafts 5 which are rotated about their axes bya motor (not shown). At equi-distant intervals around its circumference,each drum is formed with four indents 6 each of which is adapted toreceive one of the screws from the corresponding runway. The two drumsare so staggered relatively to one another that the axes of their shafts5 are located in a plane which is inclined at 45 to the runways 2. Thescrews, dropping into the drum indents, are transported in thedirections of the arrows (FIGURE 1) towards a correspondingly primarystar-shaped wheel 7, which is level with and of which one of its pointspenetrates into, a circumferential groove 9 surrounding thecorresponding drum. As each screw is being transported in one of theindents, its shank comes into contact with the groove-penetrating pointof the corresponding primary star wheel, whereupon the wheel is rotatedto cause the next adjacent point to enter the groove, after travelingbeyond the wheel, the screw reaches a V-shaped extractor -8 and its headabuts and rides along one arm of the said extractor thereby effectingthe unloading of the screw from the drum into a chute 10 down which itfalls into a box .11 that is waiting to be filled. The gentle rotationimparted to the star wheel 7 by the screw, effects the ensuing rotationof a shaft 12 and simultaneously the rota tion of a secondary star wheel13 which, like the wheel 7, is fast upon the shaft 12. The saidsecondary star wheel is shaped and arranged in such a manner that, aseach screw enters an indent in the corresponding transporter drum, theextremities of two of its points (see FIGURE 6b) contact the peripheryof one of four lobes of a camshaped driving element 14 which is rotatedcontinuously and serves the purpose of assuring a further angularforward step of all elements mounted on the shaft 12, and amongst thesethere is included a drum having a system of four identical cam slots(described in more detail hereinafter) in its periphery in order toimpart a given angular movement to a cog-wheel '19.

The relative positions of the transporter drums, of the star wheels 7,'13 and of the driving cam 14 are shown in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8. FIGURES6a and 6b indicate a screw 1 introduced into an indent 6 and preparatoryto coming into contact with the corresponding primary star wheel 7, sothat the secondary star wheel 13 is stationary in its initial positionalthough the cam-shaped driving element 14 continues its rotation.Immediately the screw 1 comes into contact with the point of the primarystar wheel (see FIGURES 7a and 7b) which is penetrating into the groove9, the screw effects the displacement of the wheel in the arroweddirection, so that the shaft 12 and the secondary star wheel are turnedand one of the two points which, previously were in contact with a lobeof the driving element, is moved into the path of travel of and isimpinged by the next adjacent lobe; hence, the driving element continuesthe rotation of the star wheels and shaft by transplanting them into thepositions illustrated in FIGURES 8a and 8b, in which the surface 13a ofthe adjacent point of the secondary star wheel comes into cont-act withthe outer surface of the said next adjacent lobe of the driving element,whereby the latter acts as a stop and prevents the shaft 12 moving onthrough inertia. In this position (see FIGURE 8a) a further point of theprimary star wheel penetrates into the circumferential groove of thetransporter drum ready to be displaced by the following screw .1,preparatory to a repetition of the rnodus operandi just described.Expressed in few words, the impingement of the screws successively withthe primary star wheel merely serves the purpose of initiating themovement of the shaft, which movement is thereupon continued by thedriving element 14. Thus the screws encounter no resistance that couldconceivably damage them.

The rotary movement transmitted to the secondary star wheel 13 by thedriving element 14 is transmitted to the drum 15 which is also fast onthe shaft 1-2. The drum 15 has four cam grooves in its periphery andeach groove has a central part 16 which is located in a plane at rightangles to the axis of the said shaft and is flanked by two helicallyshaped parts '17 and 18 opening respectively to the top and bottom ofthe drum (see FIGURE 1): the grooves 16, 17, 18 are adapted to engage insuccession a tooth of the cog wheel 19' so that the wheel is rotatedthrough an angle corresponding to the pitch of its teeth each time onetooth is engaged and traversed by one of the grooves. The said drum 15has as many grooves as the secondary star wheel has points, and iteffects the rotation of the cog-wheel 19 each time the secondary starwheel is turned first by a drum-supported screw and then by the drivingelement. The arrangement and shape ofeach cam groove 16, 17, 18 is suchthat the first phase of each rotary movement of the shaft 12, that is tosay the move ment effected by impact of a screw 1 with a point of theprimary star wheel 7, occurs when the central part 16 of the groove isengaging a tooth of the cog-wheel; that is to say, when there is noappreciable resistance to the rotation of the shaft. The second phase ofeach rotary movement of the shaft which is instigated by the subsequentengagement of a lobe of the driving element \14 with a point of thesecondary star wheel, occurs when the trailing downwardly inclined part18 of the groove is engaging a tooth of the cog-Wheel. In this way, thescrew-initiated rotary movement of the shaft is not transferred to thecogwheel '19 or to the counting mechanism, so that the screw is notsubjected to any injurious stresses. Moreover, the cog-wheel isstationary each time one of its teeth is engaged by a groove part 116and whilst the said part is traveling over the tooth so that the wheelis stationary during the first phase of each intermittent rotarymovement of the shaft. It is to be noted that the two transporter drums2 and 4 are arranged in such a manner that their primary star wheels 7cannot be actuated simultaneously.

In case the machine comprises only one transporter drum, then thecog-wheel could transmit drive direct to the counting device, but forthat purpose it would require to be provided with a number of teethequal to the predetermined number of screws to be charged into each box.In such cases the cog-wheel could be constructed like the toothedcounting wheel 23 referred to below. But since, and this for veryglaring construction reasons, provision must be made for two transporterdrums, it has been seen fit to arrange for a mechanism which gives dueconsideration to the transportations effected by both drums, and whichtransmits the drum movements to the wheel 23, which latter transmitsdrive direct to the counting device (not shown). The aforementionedmechanism comprises a differential 25 (see FIGURE 2) including thecog-wheels 19 which respectively co-operate with, and are driven by, thecam drums 15 on the shafts 12. Each cog-wheel 19 is connected with, andis concentric to, a corresponding crown wheel 26, and both are mountedon and are rotatable relatively to a shaft 22, on a radial projection 27of which a conical sun wheel 28, meshing with the crown wheels, isjournalled. By this arrangement the sun wheel 28, and with it the shaft22, is caused to rotate by every rotary movement imparted to one of thecog-wheels: a pinion 21 fast on the shaft 22, transfers each rotarymovement of the said shaft to the counting wheel 23. In the main thedifferential has the effect of totalizing the intermittant rotarymovements imparted to the two cog-wheels 19 by the respective drums 15,and of transmitting such movements to the counting-wheel 23. At the endof every complete revolution of the counting Wheel, corresponding to theboxing of the predetermined number of screws, it is desirable that themachine should come to a stop so as to permit replacement of the box 11into which the screws have been charged and which is located below thedischarge end of the chute 10, by a fresh and empty box. For thispurpose an eccentric aperture 29 is formed in the counting wheel 23;this aperture is covered up by a slide 30 mounted on and rotatable aboutthe shaft 24 of the counting wheel; a tension spring 32 connectedbetween the slideand the counting wheel 23, urges the slide into contactwith a peg 31 on the said wheel to locate the slide in itsaperture-covering position. A feeler stud 33 provided on an arm 34projecting radially from and fast upon a shaft 35, operates inconjunction with the aperture 29 in the manner illustrated in FIGURES5a-5e. In FIGURE 5a, the counting wheel 23 is shown in a positionwherein the slide 30 is covering the aperture and is displaced from thefeeler stud whereas the stud is urged into contact with the lateralsurface of the counting wheel by a tension spring 36 (see FIGURE 1)acting on the stud through a locking. arm 37, a shaft 36 and an arm 33on which the said stud is provided.

As the counting wheel is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown inFIGURES 5a-5e, the spring 32 holds the slide 30 in contact with the peg31 so that the slide rotates with the wheel. Eventually, and as thecounting wheel is about to reach the end of one complete revolution, theslide contacts (see FIGURE 5b) the feeler stud so that the slide ceasesto rotate with the wheel; consequently, the aperture 29 moves beyond theslide and into register with the feeler stud (see FIGURE 5c) whereuponthe stud enters the aperture under the action of the spring 36permitting a rotary movement of the shaft 35 in the direction of arrowK, FIGURE 2, which causes the feeler stud to enter the aperture.

The entry of the stud 33 into the aperture 29 re sults in an angularmovement of the stud carrying arm 34 and a corresponding rotary movementof the shaft 35 and angular movement of the locking arm 37. The saidlocking arm has a nose 38 projecting later-ally of its free end and thesaid angular movement enables the nose to engage between two adjacentteeth 40 on the periphery of a toothed locking wheel 39 fast upon themotor driven shaft 5, thereby terminating the rotation of the shaft.Meshing pinions 41 which are respectively fast upon the two shafts 5,ensure that both shafts are rotated in unison and their rotation isterminated simultaneously.

Drive to the motor driven shaft 5 from the motor shaft 42, istransmitted from a shifting-jaw clutch 43; the clutch comprises adriving disc which is fast upon the motor shaft 42 and is provided withan annular system of trapezoidal projections each of which engages in acomplementary pocket or recess in the adjacent face of the driven discof the clutch. The driven disc is held against rotation relatively tothe motor driven shaft 5, but mounted to slide lengthwise of the shaft42 away from the driving disc, against the action of a compressionspring 45. Hence, when the rotation of the motor driven shaft 5 isterminated by the engagement of the nose 38 between two adjacent teeth40, the projections of the driving clutch plate ride out of therespective depressions in the driven clutch plate While the latter isdisplaced along the driven shaft against the action of the spring 45thereby permitting relative rotation between the motor and the motordriven shafts 42 and 45.

An arm 46, which is also fast upon the shaft 35, projects radially fromthe said shaft and one end of the rod 48 is articulated, by a coupling47, to the vicinity of its free end; the rod (see FIGURE 3) projectslaterally of the arm 46 and its opposite end is journalled upon aneccentric pin provided on and projecting laterally from a friction disc49 (composed of fibrous or other friction material) journalled upon astub axle 50 provided on the frame of the machine. The friction disc 49is co-planar with the circumferential groove of a drive disc 52 and isof such a radius that it is adapted to enter the said circumferentialgroove and be driven by the drive disc 52. However, an arcuate recess 51is formed in the periphery of the frictiondisc 49 and, before the feelerstud 33 enters the aperture in the counting Wheel, this recess is (asshown in FIGURE 3) located adjacent the periphery of the drive disc 52so that the rotation of the latter does not rotate the disc 49.

Upon entry of the feeler stud into the counting wheel aperture, theconsequent rotary movement of the shaft 35 swings the arm 46 to displacethe rod 48 in the direction of the arrow Z shown in FIGURE 3;consequently the rod turns the friction disc 49 a suflicient distance toenable the periphery of the disc 49 at one end of the arcuate recess 51,to enter and be gripped Within the groove of the rotating drive disc 52so that the disc 49 is turned through a complete revolution and therecess 51 is returned to the position shown in FIGURE 3. The rotation ofthe friction disc 49 first continues the displacement of the rod 48 inthe direction of the arrow Z and then displaces it in the reversedirection through a sufficient distance to turn the shaft 35 (in theopposite direction to the arrow K) through a sufficient distance toremove the feeler stud from the counting Wheel aperture and to disengagethe nose 38 from the wheel 39; hence the rotation of the shaft 24 and ofthe counting wheel 23 is recommenced. Further, as the feeler stud iswithdrawn from the counting wheel aperture, the tension spring 32 turns6 the slide 30 about the shaft 24 into re-abutment with the peg 31,thereby reclosing the aperture (see FIGURE 5d).

The entrance of the feeler stud into the counting wheel aperture, takesplace at the end of a complete revolution of the wheel when thepredetermined number of screws has been charged into the box 11 and thecycle of operations of the machine is recommenced as the stud iswithdrawn from the aperture.

The drive disc 52 is fixed to and concentrically of a pinion 53 which isfast upon a shaft 54 (see FIGURE 1) rotated continuously by meshing WormWheels 55 of which one is fast upon the said shaft 54 and the other isfast upon the motor shaft 42 so that the drive disc 52 is rotatedcontinuously.

The angular movement imparted to the arm 46 by the entrance of thefeeler stud into the counting wheel aperture, also actuates a jackmechanism 60, so as to displace a conveyor belt 62 provided with asystem of spaced arms 63; the conveyor arms extend above a track 64 andthe box 11 which has been charged with the predetermined number ofscrews, and empty boxes 11a are supported on the track, each between twoadjacent arms. Hence, the operation of the jack mechanism by the angularmovement of the arm 46 moves the boxes along the track through adistance suflicient to remove the charged box from below the dischargeend of the chute 10 and to bring an empty box into position forreceiving the predetermined number of screws during the next cycle ofoperations of the machine.

The track 64 has an opening formed therein immediately below thedischarge end of the chute and a box-supporting plate 65 is located inand fills the said opening. The plate is carried by and fixed upon a rod67 which is connected to the chute and is adapted to be vibratedlongitudinally by any suitable vibrator (for example a rotatingturntable contacting and adapted to vibrate an arm fixed to the rod 67)so as to shake the plate and chute thereby ensuring that, as each screwis extracted from an indent in either of the transporter drums 3, 4, ittravels down the chute and into the box 11 and the screws in the box arecaused to occupy a minimum volume.

Since the modus operandi of the machine has, so far, been describe-d interms of the passage of the screws from the runways 2 to the box 11, itwould now appear to be appropriate to look rather closely at thebehaviour of the machine in the event of a breakdown of the transporterdrums 3 and 4 which would prevent them from being rotated, and/ or inthe event of the clogging of either runway, the screws are preventedfrom reaching the said drums which would then tend to rotate withoutscrews in the indents 6 thereof. In both events, the consequence wouldbe identical because the primary star wheels 7 would remain stationaryand therefore the shaft 12, the cammed driving element 13 and the drum15 would not be rotated. The inevitable consequence would be that thecounting mechanism 20 would not be operated. Therefore,anymiscalculation'in counting the number of screws charged into the box11 is prevented.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic machine for counting screws and similar articlescomprising a rotatable drum with a series of peripherally spacedindents, each receiving only one article, a drive for rotating saiddrum, stationary discharge means for removing each article from therespective indent after said drum has rotated through an angle and fordischarging the removed article towards an out let, coupling meansinterposed in the arcuate path of the article transported by saidrotatable drum so that a temporary driving connection between said drumand said coupling means is established, a counting device to count thearticles transported by said drum, and means connecting said countingdevice with said coupling means I? so that said counting device istemporarily coupled with said drive through said coupling means as thearticle impinges said coupling means in such a manner that said countingdevice is actuated whenever a transported article engages one of saidcoupling means.

2. An automatic machine according to claim 1, wherein said rotatabledrum is peripherally grooved and said coupling means includes a starWheel one point of which entering in said groove so to be impinged bythe transported article thus establishing a temporary connection betweenthe drive and the counting device.

3. An automatic machine for counting screws, nails and similar articlescomprising a drive, a rotatable drum transporter rotated continuously bysaid drive and being peripherally recessed at spaced intervals, each ofsaid recesses being adapted to receive only one article, inlet means tointroduce an article in one of said recesses, outlet and discharge meansto remove the articles transported by said drum in said recesses, saidinlet means and said outlet means being peripherally spaced along saiddrum, the articles transported by said drum thus traveling along anarcuate path of movement, a geared wheel connected with said rotatabledrum to rotate with the latter, star wheel means interfering in thearcuate path of movement of the transported articles so that a temporarydriving connection between said drum and said star wheel is established,a geared wheel connected with said star wheel means, said latter gearedwheel engaging the first geared wheel to be angularly displacedtherewith through a limited angle of rotation as an article transportedby said rotatable drum impinges the points of said star wheel means,motion transmitting means connected with said latter geared wheel andsaid star wheel to rotate therewith, and counting means driven by saidmotion transmitting means for counting each angular displacement of saidstar wheel and of said latter geared wheel caused by articles impingingupon said star wheel means in such a manner that said counting device isactuated whenever a transported article engages one of said couplingmeans.

4. An automatic machine for counting screws, nails and similar articlescomprising two rotatable drums peripherally recessed at spacedintervals, each recess being adapted to receive and transport only onearticle, conveying means associated with each of said drums forconveying said articles in a lined up manner to said drums, outlet anddischarge means for removing the articles transported by said drums insaid recesses, motor means to rotate said drums, said drums beingmutually dephased, coupling means for each drum interfering in the pathof movement of the transported articles so that a temporary drivingconnection between said drum and said coupling means is established, acounting device, and means connecting said coupling means with saidcounting device, each of the said coupling means establishing a driveconnection between the respective rotating drum and said counting devicein such a manner that said counting device is actuated whenever atransported article engages one of said coupling means.

5. A machine for counting articles and comprising, in combination, arotary first member having a set of circumferentially spaced holdingmeans for receiving articles; drive means for rotating said first memberwith said articles; a turnable second member having a plurality ofprojections and being located in close proximity to said first memberand to said holding means so as to be located in the path of movement ofthe articles in said holding means and to be successively engaged by thearticles in such a manner that said second member is angularly displaceda selected angle when any one of said projections is engaged by anarticle; a first coupling wheel driven by said drive means, and a secondcoupling wheel connected to said second member for turning movement,said first and second coupling wheels having a plurality of relativepositions in which they are disconnected from each other, and aplurality of coupling positions in which they are coupled to each other,said second member turning said second coupling wheel from any of saiddisconnected positions to a coupling position when being angularlydisplaced said selected angle, and said first coupling wheel turningsaid second coupling wheel in said coupling position through anadditional selected angle so that said second coupling wheel is turnedto the next following disconnected position; and counter meansoperatively connected to said second coupling wheel and actuated underthe control of said second member to count the displacements of saidsecond member and thereby said articles in such a manner that saidcounter means is driven by said drive means through said first andsecond coupling wheels while said second member only initiates theactuation of said counter means.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 5 including means for locking saidfirst member against rotation when said second coupling wheel and saidfirst coupling wheel are in said disconnected position; and including aslip clutch means connecting said drive means with said first member.

7. A machine for counting articles and comprising, in combination, arotary first member having a set of circumferentially spaced holdingmeans for receiving articles; drive means for rotating said first memberwith said articles; a turnable second member having a plurality ofprojections and being located in close proximity to said first memberand to said holding means so as to be located in the path of movement ofthe articles in said holding means and to be successively engaged by thearticles in such a manner that said second member is angularly displaceda selected angle when any one of said projections is engaged by anarticle; a first coupling wheel driven by said drive means, and a secondcoupling wheel connected to said second member for turning movement,said first and second coupling wheels having a plurality of relativepositions in which they are disconnected from each other, and aplurality of coupling positions in which they are coupled to each other,said second member turning said second coupling wheel from any of saiddisconnected positions to a coupling position when being angularlydislaced said selected angle, and said first coupling wheel turning saidsecond coupling wheel in said coupling position through an additionalselected angle so that said second coupling Wheel is turned to the nextfollowing disconnected position; counter means; and transmission meansconnecting said second coupling wheel with said counter means andincluding a cam wheel having a plurality of circumferentially andaxially extending cam tracks respectively correlated with saidprojections of said second member, and a cog wheel meshing with said camtracks, said cam tracks having track portions extending in a planeperpendicular to the axis of rotation of said cam wheel, said cog wheelengaging said track portions when said projections are engaged by saidarticles so that no force is transmitted through the articles to saidcounter means and said counter means is actuated by said second counterwheel under the control of said second member to count the displacementsof said second member and thereby said articles.

8. A machine for counting articles and comprising, in combination, arotary first member having a set of circumferentially spaced holdingmeans for receiving articles; drive means for rotating said first memberwith said articles; a turnable second member having a plurality ofprojections and being located in close proximity to said first memberand to said holding means so as to be located in the path of movement ofthe articles in said holding means and to be successively engaged by thearticles in such a manner that said second member is angularly displaceda selected angle when any one of said projections is engaged by anarticle; counter means actuated under the control of said second memberto count the displacements of said second member and thereby saidarticles, said counter means including a counter wheel performing asingle revolution for a selected number of articles transported by saidfirst member, said counter wheel having an opening; sensing meanssliding on said counter wheel for sensing said opening and thereby eachrevolution of said counter wheel; and locking means for locking saidsecond member against rotation and being operated by said sensing means.

9. A machine for counting articles comprising two rotary drums, eachdrum having a set of circumferentially spaced holding means forreceiving articles; feeding means for supplying articles to said holdingmeans; discharging means for removing articles transported by said drum;drive means for rotating said drums so that said holding means of saidtwo drums alternately arrive at said discharging means; rotary starwheel means for each of said drums located in the path of movement ofthe articles transported by the respective drum so that a temporarydriving connection between said drum and said star wheel means isestablished; a counting device; and means connecting said star wheelmeans with said counting device References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 660,086 Camp Oct. 16, 1900 1,737,877 Crosbyet al. Dec. 3, 1929 2,515,965 Nurnberg July 18, 1950 2,679,849 BuchholzJune 1, 1954 2,792,031 Batchelder May 14, 1957 2,812,137 Curtis et a1Nov. 5, 1957 2,864,215 Hillman Dec. 16, 1958 2,909,016 Sherrill Oct. 20,1959

1. AN AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR COUNTING SCREWS AND SIMILAR ARTICLESCOMPRISING A ROTATABLE DRUM WITH A SERIES OF PERIPHERALLY SPACEDINDENTS, EACH RECEIVING ONLY ONE ARTICLE, A DRIVE FOR ROTATING SAIDDRUM, STATIONARY DISCHARGE MEANS FOR REMOVING EACH ARTICLE FROM THERESPECTIVE INDENT AFTER SAID DRUM HAS ROTATED THROUGH AN ANGLE AND FORDISCHARGING THE REMOVED ARTICLE TOWARDS AN OUTLET, COUPLING MEANSINTERPOSED IN THE ARCUATE PATH OF THE ARTICLE TRANSPORTED BY SAIDROTATABLE DRUM SO THAT A TEMPORARY DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID DRUMAND SAID COUPLING MEANS IS ESTABLISHED, A COUNTING DEVICE TO COUNT THEARTICLES TRANSPORTED BY SAID DRUM, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID COUNTINGDEVICE WITH SAID COUPLING MEANS SO THAT SAID COUNTING DEVICE ISTEMPORARILY COUPLED WITH SAID DRIVE THROUGH SAID COUPLING MEANS AS THEARTICLE IMPINGES SAID COUPLING MEANS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT SAID COUNTINGDEVICE IS ACTUATED WHENEVER A TRANSPORTED ARTICLE ENGAGES ONE OF SAIDCOUPLING MEANS.